SPAIN: Barca needs a boost after Euro exit

11 Apr 2014 07:35:08
Reigning La Liga champions
Barcelona will need to
recover quickly to maintain
hopes of retaining their title
as they travel to Granada on
Saturday just three days after being dumped
out the Champions League by Atletico
Madrid.
The Catalans also trail Atletico by a point at
the top of the table with just six games
remaining, but continue to have matters in
their own hands as they meet Los
Rojiblancos for the sixth time this season on
the final day of the campaign.
Barca could even still win a domestic double
as they also face Real Madrid in the Copa del
Rey final on Wednesday.
Midfielder Andres Iniesta was surprisingly
withdrawn with half an hour still to play as
Barca trailed 1-0 at the Vicente Calderon in
midweek, but he insists they have no time to
feel sorry for themselves.
"The substitution surprised me, but the
coach is the one who makes the decisions,"
he said.
"The defeat shouldn't affect us. The
Champions League is a wonderful
competition, but you cannot win it every
year.
"Now we have the league and the final of the
Cup. The pain will last for today and
tomorrow, but that is football and sport. We
need to keep going and fight for the
competitions in which we are still alive."
Real Madrid also remain in contention for the
title as they lie just three points off the top in
third place.
However, Los Blancos look set to be without
star man Cristiano Ronaldo once more when
they host Almeria at the Santiago Bernabeu
on Saturday as tests revealed on Thursday
that he has a hamstring strain that could
keep him out for a couple of weeks.
Madrid held on to progress to the semifinals
of the Champions League themselves on
Tuesday despite losing 2-0 in the second leg
of their quarterfinal tie away at Borussian
Dortmund.
And midfielder Luka Modric believes his side
must learn from their sloppy display in
Germany for what remains of the season.
"We are very happy to be in the semifinals,
but not with how we played the other night,
especially in the first half. We cannot allow
that to happen, we need to learn from it and
improve."
Leaders Atletico are not in action until
Sunday when they travel across Madrid to
face relegation threatened Getafe at the
Alfonso Perez Coliseum.
And coach Diego Simeone admitted that he
will have to try and keep a lid on
expectations after the Barcelona victory as
his side have reached the last four of the
Champions League for the first time in 40
years and are on course for their first La Liga
title since he played for the club in 1996.
"I am happy because we made a great effort,
the boys have worked very hard and created
great enthusiasm and joy for the fans.
"We are desperate to keep working in the
way we have until now. We haven't won
anything yet. It was a very important game
and it will help us to continue improving."
Atletico should be boosted by the return of
top-scorer Diego Costa from a hamstring
injury that has kept him out of the last two
games.
Simeone is expected to make a number of
changes in any case to freshen up his side
after the physical demands of shutting out
Barca in midweek.